Tips for a move-in ready home

Making, creating, designing and staging a home are the ways to help increase a home’s resale value. Yes it is an art and science and it’s not just for home that have “For sale” signs.

Just ask Emmy-nominated “Speed” home stager Jill Vegas, who uses the Internet and weekly action plans to help homeowners learn how to put their properties in the best light.

Or interior designer C.J. Knapp, creative director and lead designer for Savvy Surrounding Style, a home store and design firm.

Here are some tips you can use to instantly and cheaply transform your home —and not just for someone else to enjoy.

Clear the clutter

Strip the room of “anything that’s distracting from the architectural features in your home,” says Vegas, author of Speed Decorating. In a kitchen, these distractions include extra appliances, cereal boxes and any out-of-place items like piles of mail.

“When it comes to staging a house, less is more,” says Knapp. “A few well-placed pieces of furniture have more impact then lots of pieces.” Vegas has a self-proclaimed “fierce” rule when it comes to getting rid of things: “Ask yourself, ‘Do I love it?’

“And listen to what pops into your head.”

Clean, clean, clean

“Make sure every inch of your floor sparkles,” Vegas says. Everything has to gleam, and those dust balls in the corner of your closet have to go.

Add mirrors

Mirrors instantly increase light and can make a space feel wider or deeper. “Look for windows with great views to reflect in the mirror, Knapp says. “Before placing mirrors stand with your back to the wall and look straight ahead. If you see into the bathroom, a blank wall or a stack of dirty dishes in the sink, you know not to place a mirror there.”

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